"Stop harassing Governor Amaechi" - APC Governors berates President Goodluck Jonathan

Nine of the progressive state governors in the All Progressive Congress (APC) merger plan, Tuesday rose from a meeting in Owerri, the Imo State capital, condemning the current harassment of Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Amaechi, and describing it as an affront to the nation’s Constitution and Federalism.

The Governors who were also in Owerri in solidarity with the State Governor, Rochas Okorocha on the second Anniversary of his administration, christened Freedom Day, include those of Lagos, Edo, Osun, Ekiti, Ogun, Oyo, Borno and Nassarawa. The Governors of Zamfara and Yobe sent apologies for their unavoidable absence.

In a communiqué issued after their meeting at the Government House Owerri, the Governors, who expressed grave concern over the developments in the nation’s polity generally, said what was playing itself out in Rivers State was “an open assault on the Nation, Federalism and Sovereignty of the people”.

Calling on the Presidency “to stop the unwarranted assault on the Sovereignty of Nigerians, the Governors declared, “A government freely formed by the democratic choice of Nigerians cannot be arbitrarily harassed and intimidated out of office through brazen use of power and outright abuse of same”.

“We are concerned about developments in the polity. What is playing itself out in Rivers is an affront on the Constitution and Nigerian Federalism/Federation. We, therefore, strongly condemn the open assault on our Nation, Federalism and Sovereignty of our people. We call on the Presidency to stop the unwarranted assault on the sovereignty of Nigerians”, the Governors said.

The Governors equally expressed delight at the significant progress that has been made towards the conclusion of the merger of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) noting, particularly, the recent successful hosting of ACN special convention in Lagos, the affirmation of the Governor Rochas Okorocha led All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) in Owerri and the impending conventions of CPC and ANPP coming up this weekend.

Assuring Nigerians that the merger process that would give them a new alternative platform that would form government at the federal level in 2015 “is irreversible and on course”, the Governors, however, called on party members and Nigerians in general to guard their loins “as the desperation of the PDP to scuttle the process is reaching fever pitch”.